Barre, VT - day 7

Thursday

M: Crisp, cold night has transformed into a sparkling, sunny morning. I doubt that it got to 35 degrees as predicted, but then I slept in and missed whatever frost there might have been.

Excitement of the morning: four guys (the two owners plus two advisors) of varying ages and conditions investigating a site across the road. Activity has included crawling around patting the ground and scanning the area as if looking for a missing contact lens. Finally, a dowsing rod came out and bobbed once. Then, a guitar. Go figure. I assume there is a leak somewhere or a natural spring. No shovels yet, but the eldest member of the group is back, walking a pattern, looking.

Yesterday after dropping Wayne off, I grocery shopped and did laundry -- after driving through the famous Hope Cemetery here in Barre (pronounced Barry). The town was bustling with activity, the cemetery, not.

The granite monuments were locally created and expressively carved. The more famous ones include: a retiring couple sitting up against the headboard saying goodnight, their bodies resting under individual stone covers; an inscribed cube balancing on one corner; a race car; a soccer ball, couple planes; two pyramids with the inscriptions directing the reader what to read of the matching stone; and touching memorials to loved ones. There were hundreds.

Each was individual. Each lovingly told a story in stone about who the person was in life. For instance, at the base of a family stone under each name was a picture of that person’s accomplishment or activity in life. Ex.: a scale representing legal, a pair of scissors, a snow board for a child, a grand piano, a portrait, an open book, a physician’s staff, etc., or a panorama showing what they loved or how they lived. Another had the family tree etched on the back – many more branches, yet unfilled.

Every stone was individual, creative and wonderful, the workmanship incredible from lace, to leaves, to roses, to orbs and twining braids -- truly living stone in every sense of the word. And, there so very many. Family names were Italian mostly, the stone carving families of the old world come to America; Irish, French and English. But none of the names I was so accustomed to seeing. The earliest birthdates I saw were the mid 1800’s. Quite impressive.

Above mystery solved. The older fellow lost an ivory turner from his guitar, so he and friends were scouring the area where they had been sitting and strumming last night. How the dozing rod could have help …

W: I returned early today. After two days of class, my mind is filled with new ideas and concepts. At about 3:00 p.m. today, I decided was in overload. Since we were in the try-out-ideas-on-your-photos mode, I asked to be excused. Tomorrow is our last day and will be devoted to printer maintenance and “loose ends”.

There were originally three other students scheduled for this class, but two cancelled. The instructor said they used to cancel classes when there was less than four, but they found that many people were making airline reservations and couldn’t get refunds. So they will now hold a class even if there is only one person.

I’d like to report more on the class, but there is much to report, I need to have some time to let everything settle and reflect on what I’m learning. I would like to report that I have now printed (a black & white) photo that I would be willing to put up against almost anyone. I’m very happy!

Photos for today are from Margaret’s cemetery crawl.